5 Common Mistakes Which Invalidate Your Insurance as a Nail Tech
Many nail technician and beauty therapists are often under the impression that if they have been doing (or not doing) something for a particularly long time and they haven’t faced any issues - this must mean that they’re doing anything right. There are many common mistakes which are expensive to fix or have not brought trouble before - but with the wrong set of circumstances, continuing on could come crashing down as your insurance fails to cover you.
The common mistakes to avoid:
Using products past shelf life
Unopened and properly stored polish will last at least 18 months, possibly 24 months depending on storage condition. Depending on your product, the shelf life once opened can vary between 12-24 months. To know how far along before your product needs to be dumped, put the date of opening on the base of the polish. It can be hard and expensive to throw away hardly used colours every 12 months - but remember, any client reaction can invalidate your insurance.
Using Gel Products in the Sun
UV light can cure gel products - when working near a window or outside, shield your products from the sun in a box/draw - once the gels are cured, there’s no going back and these will need to be dumped. Using clumpy gel will invalidate your nail insurance.
Don’t Mix Nail Systems
There are many reasons that nail technicians may use different nail systems - they may be moving away from one nail system onto another one, or they may be struggling with a particular product but love the colours of a certain brand. Whatever the reason, using several different brands on your clients can invalidate your nail insurance as it means you’re not following the manufacturers’ instructions. Each brand is created to work together with its products - and cure at the correct wavelength with its lamps. Using lamps from different brands can lead to over or under curing, and the manufacturer has not tested how the brand reacts with the chemicals in other products.
Working During Lockdown
Most insurers covered working during the coronavirus pandemic, including when businesses with non-essential contact were encouraged to close. When the government announced new measures to close salons, any practising beauty therapists would no longer be covered due to breaking of governmental regulation.
Wrong Removal
There are multiple ways of gel polish removal, and the manufacturer always points out which is correct - if your clients pick off their nail polish despite your instructions not to do this, be confident and assertive in not doing their nails. Picking off gel polish can lead to nail separation, and incorrect removal against the manufacturer’s guidance can invalidate your insurance. This also applies to clients who request filing off of soak-off systems.